Customer Reviews

Romancing the Rogue

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was disappointed after reading Romancing the Rogue. I am a big fan of Ms. Smith and loved all of her previous novels. I don't really know what I disliked about it but it just did not hold my interest to keep me wanting to find out what happened next.

If you loved Ms. Smith's books, I would go ahead and read Romancing the Rogue; but if you are new to her, I would start with her earlier novels first.

Those of us that read romance novels essentially know what we'll be getting into before we read Page One. There's a predicability about romance, & that's for the most part why we read it. That's what we're looking for.

The difference comes in w/the characters, the way the tension builds, the sensuality between them, the predictability or, better, the lack of, and the hopefully well-done backdrops for each fantasy story. Because that's what a romance is meant to be: a fantasy whereby a reader can step away from her own reality for even a short time & feel drawn into this make-believe world.

Barbara Dawson Smith has fulfilled all the most important elements in ROMANCING THE ROGUE. The hero & heroine are beautiful. There is just enough tension between them without there being an overt amount of never-ending sparring. The timing is well-done, so that Michael & Vivien are brought together in increments, steps in time, building up to a rather believeable end. And the supporting characters are well-defined.

If I had any criticism at all, it would be minimal. Maybe the book could've supported a wee bit more sensuality. While I could tell the couple were very attracted to each other, the heat of such a connection could've been turned up just a notch. Also, I kept waiting to see Vivien reunite with Brand after she knew him to be her brother. That was a scene that could've held a considerable amount of emotion, & I really wanted to see it happen.

I love the whole gypsy girl/dark and dangerous aristocrat chemistry. I loved the sense of danger that sizzled between the hero and heroine and I love regencies. This book kept me awake late into the night and there's not too many that do that. My first Smith but it wouldn't be my last!

Barbara Dawson Smith has written since 1985 and every book has been a complete winner. This is a complete shock to me. This plot has been written in a variety of ways but not as bad as this one. Truely sorry , but its the truth. You never fall in love with main characters, there just there. You can tell the ending right from the beginning . The story actually leaves you speechless and not worth any comment. Remember, we should not be too surprise because after all this shows the author is human and is allowed to write one boring book in her career. This is one of my favorite authors and it broke my heart to write this review , so now I will await her next book and of course will buy.

Any author can take a bad idea and insist on running with it. Unfortunately Ms. Smith did this with Romancing the Rogue. The premise is unlikely, the plot is too thin and too predictable, and the characters never grab the reader's interest. I've read all of Ms. Smith's books and know that she is a better writer than this effort displays. It's still an enjoyable read but not up to her usual efforts.

I have enjoyed Smith's books up to this one, which read as if it had been generated by a computer program, randomized with romance-novel clichés, sentence by sentence...

Ms. Smith, defy your editors/publishers and take a bit of time to write your next novel. And don't allow them to write anything under your name.

A great book, worth reading, Michael and Vivian were exciting fiesty characters and The Rosebuds had me laughing, a delightful, must read book. I couldn't put it down once I started it. Than again I bought all her books and haven't found a bad one in the bunch.

I liked the sexual tension between the characters. This book is pretty good and worth reading. It's my first one by Smith and I plan to read her other novels. My only complaint is slight -- a little too much hatred between the main characters (until the end which more than made up for it).

Absolutely loved this book--Michael was a to-die-for hero, and Vivien a wonderfully feisty heroine. The Rosebuds had me chuckling out loud--what a trio of spunky old ladies! I closed this book with a sigh, hating for it to end . . . Ms. Smith, do I dare hope we'll see more of this family?